The transition piece forward mounting bracket is a component of the turbine combustion system that supports a transition duct (commonly referred to as the “transition piece”), that extends between a combustor liner or casing and a first turbine stage in a can-annular gas turbine combustion configuration. The mounting bracket generally requires replacement after completion of a specified number of hours in operation (e.g., 8000 hours) because high stresses and wear in this area could possibly result in failure of the turbine. There are instances, however, where it would be desirable to increase the service life without significant cost increases.